ISSN 2039-2117 (online) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 6 No 6 S7 ISSN 2039-9340 (print) MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy December 2015 Mineral Resources of the Kaliningrad Region * Vyacheslav V. Orlenok Yevgeny V. Krasnov Valery A.Funtikov Galina N. Chupahina Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Russian Federation *Corresponding Email:
[email protected] Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s7p252 Abstract While relatively small in size, the Kaliningrad region has abundant deposits of minerals, many of which are actively exploited (amber, oil, peat, building materials, mineral waters and muds). There are, however, other mineral resources that can be developed here, and some are already being prepared for exploitation (rock salt, potassium and magnesium salts). But any extraction of minerals in a small, economically developed area with unique natural resources requires an assessment of potential risks to the environment. Implementing mine reclamation measures is mandatory. No new fields can be developed without an approval from the community of citizens obtained during public hearings. Keywords: Kaliningrad region, minerals, nature conservation 1. Introduction The Kaliningrad region (15.1 thousand sq. km, incl. 1.8 thous. sq. km of the Curonian and Kaliningrad / Vistula Lagoons; with the population of 970.6 thous. people as of June 1, 2015 - Socio-economic ... 2015, p. 68) is located in the temperate zones of Europe, in the west of the East European Plain, and lies on the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The northernmost point of the region is located in Slavsk district - 55°19′ N latitude, the most southern - in the Pravdinsky district - 54°19′ N latitude, near the village Zheleznodorozhny.